It should. You’re building a loyal audience who actively wants to hear from you. An audience you can reach at will, instead of hoping they’ll remember to return to your blog (because sadly, most won’t).

And if you’re smart, you’ll do everything you can to coax new people to join your shiny new list.

But while focusing on your list is healthy for your blog, it can also expose you to a dangerous pitfall:

You can become so single-minded about getting people to subscribe that you don’t think about what happens afterwards.

Big mistake.

Because those early interactions with new subscribers are crucial. They set the tone for your new relationship, and they happen in that precious “honeymoon” period where readers are actively thinking about your blog and the value it could provide to them.

And the start of that relationship rests on one simple communication:

Your welcome email.

So you’d better get it right.

The One-Time Opportunity You’d Be Totally Crazy to Squander

Your welcome email is the message that’s sent automatically to new subscribers after confirming they want to sign up for your list.

In its simplest form, it’s a short thank you message. And if you offer your subscribers a juicy sign-up incentive, it’ll tell them how to get that too.

In fact, that might be the reason that welcome emails have the highest open rate – up to 60% – of all types of marketing emails.

Given those numbers, you’re missing a huge opportunity if your welcome email says little more than “Thanks for subscribing!”

When your new subscribers open that first email, their interest levels are at an all-time high. It’s a rare situation in which you have your reader’s undivided attention.

So here are some quick but highly effective ideas to make sure you (and your subscribers) get every ounce of value from your welcome email.

1) Lead Subscribers Toward Your Greatest Content Hits

When subscribers join your list they have a mixture of emotions.

They hope they’re going to get a ton of value from being on your list, but they fear they’ll be disappointed.

That why you need to impress them as soon as possible after signing up.

One of the best ways is to use your welcome email to point them toward your most valuable content – the posts that have already proved to be popular with your audience.

Linking to popular posts will:

Give new subscribers a “quick win” by helping them with a common problem

Deepen the sense of connection between new subscribers and your content

Generate traffic and create additional opportunities for social sharing

You can simply include a short list of your most popular posts in your welcome email, or use anchor text to lure subscribers, just like Brian Dean (founder of Backlinko) does in this welcome email:

2) Use Total Transparency to Build Their Trust and Respect

Bloggers are sometimes a little sneaky.

They’ll offer a juicy “bribe to subscribe” in exchange for your email address, but aren’t completely transparent about how it will be used.

In practice, of course, once you’re on their list, they’ll start sending you their latest content.

But even if they do state their intentions up front, readers are often too focused on getting the freebie to notice the small print.

Your welcome email is a great place to remind them exactly what they can expect from you – before you send them anything they might not be expecting.

This kind of transparency:

Builds trust and respect

Creates anticipation for what’s to come

Reduces your unsubscribes

When setting readers’ expectations, be sure to cover the following items:

As your list grows, this single question could you give you an almost inexhaustible supply of new ideas for your blog.

5) Showcase Your About Page

You’ll have heard it many times before: your About page is the second-most visited page on your blog after the home page.

That’s why you should invest time in crafting an About page that builds your credibility and likeability. (Neil Patel uses an eye-catching illustration and interesting personal details to ensure his page stands out from the masses.)

Once you have an About page to be proud of, it’d be a real waste if the only people who saw it were those who stumbled across it, right?

So why not use your welcome email to send new subscribers to your About page? It helps put a face to the blogger behind the blog and it’s a clever way to reuse content you’ve already invested your time in.

Here’s a great example from Peep Laja of conversionXL:

6) Use Social Proof to Convince Cautious Subscribers

Imagine you’re buying a new gadget on Amazon.com.

And let’s say it’s a toss-up between an established product with dozens of five-star ratings and a brand-new product with no ratings at all.

Which one feels like the safer purchase?

The first one, right? Even though the second product might still be excellent, there’s no evidence that it is.

Author Robert Cialdini calls this social proof, and your welcome email can effectively exploit this human tendency.

Use evidence from other people to reassure your new subscribers that they’ve made a smart choice by signing up.

James Clear does it by telling us how many people already read his emails and the types of smart people that list includes:

While few people can make the same impressive claims as James, even simple elements of proof, like a quote or two from existing readers, can be seriously persuasive.

7) Delight Them with an Unexpected Bonus

Nowadays people almost take it for granted that bloggers will offer an incentive to new subscribers.

Exclusive audio recordings, free ebooks and handy checklists – these are just a few of the freebies you can use to lure new subscribers.

But because such “bribes” are so commonplace, even a genuinely valuable giveaway can feel underwhelming.

That’s why you should try to over-deliver. So give your new subscribers something extra – more than you originally promised.

It’s a great way to build trust early in the relationship and to overcome any skepticism that tells them the only reason you’re giving something away is to get their email. (It’ll also make them wonder what bonuses you might give away in future.)

So why not create an area on your blog with free resources exclusive to your subscribers and tell them about it in your welcome email?

Bryan Harris (founder of Videofruit) gives subscribers immediate access to his members’ area as soon as they subscribe to his mailing list:

8) Protect Your Emails from Getting Sidelined or Junked

Sending emails to your subscribers is pointless if they don’t get seen.

One of the biggest frustrations for email list owners is having content marked as spam by overly aggressive filters. Subscribers get frustrated too, because it means they miss the updates they chose to receive. (The best antidote is to have clear instructions on the “Thanks for subscribing” page on your blog explaining how to whitelist your email address.)

But a newer threat appeared a couple of years ago when Gmail – the most widely used email service – introduced the Promotions tab and started funneling anything that looked like a marketing email into it.

The problem is that most Gmail users open the Promotions tab far less frequently than the Primary tab – where non-marketing emails such as those from friends appear. The result – your open rates plummet.

That’s why Robbie Richards, founder of RobbieRichards.com, uses his welcome email to tell people to move his email from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab. Once his subscribers do that, all future emails will land straight into the Primary tab, where they have the best chance of being opened and read.

9) Give Your Subscribers an Unexpected Quick Win

Know the best way to make sure people are glad they joined your list?

Give them a quick tip that gets them some results right away. Before they even receive any regular content from you.

Even a teeny tiny tip that teaches them something valuable right now can have a powerful effect.

Try to pick something that most subscribers won’t know but will work for almost everyone.

And remember, it doesn’t need to deliver huge results, just quick results.

Ramsay Taplin, founder of Blog Tyrant, has a great example of this tactic in his welcome email:

This email is effective because:

It’s a useful tip that will get results

He explains why it works

It’s super-actionable, meaning you can apply it right away

10) Persuade Subscribers to Promote Your List – For Free!

Growing your social media following is useful, but it’s not the only reason to leverage social media in your welcome email.

When Smart Blogger visitors sign up to receive Jon Morrow’s famous “Headline Hacks” report, the welcome email immediately asks them for a quick favor – to tweet a link to the sign-up page so their followers can get the same report (and, of course, join Jon’s list):

If it seems cheeky to ask for a favor so soon after sign up, remember that many people will want to reciprocate the favor Jon just did them – sending them his valuable report.

And note how the favor itself is very carefully worded. Sharing the link is positioned as a way to help other people – not just helping Jon build his list.

11) Make Subscribers an Offer They Can’t Refuse

For some people, earning money from blogging is the ultimate goal.

So if you have have a product or service that’s suitable for new subscribers, don’t be afraid to make a gentle pitch in your welcome email.

If you’re worried that people will unsubscribe from your list if you try to sell them something too soon, you needn’t be.

As long as the pitch is friendly with no pressure to buy – and it doesn’t seem like making a sale is the main purpose of the email – you’ll be just fine.

Try to make the offer as attractive as possible by giving an exclusive subscriber discount, or a free trial as CoSchedule do here:

Making an offer early in the relationship not only gives you the opportunity to land a few extra sales, but it lets readers know that you have something to sell. Which means they won’t get a nasty surprise when you make a more determined pitch later down the line.

Let’s Make Your Welcome Email Work Harder and Smarter

Connecting an email list to your blog is like flicking a turbo switch – everything accelerates.

105 Comments

Welcome to BBT! You have a a day filled with commments and reader interaction ahead of you — I hope you’re prepared! 🙂

You bring up a great point… Most of us are so preoccupied with getting subscribers we don’t think about what happens after they subscribe. For many of us, that first “welcome” email is an afterthought.

Thanks for the examples you’ve shared from Bryan, Neil, Ramsay, and others. I’m on each of their lists and you’re right: They’re doing it the right way.

You’re inspired me to look at my welcome email (something I haven’t done in months) and dissect it this weekend. It’s way, way overdue for an overhaul.

I’ll be tweeting and FB’ing this one for sure. Thanks for the hard work you put into creating this for all of us.

I’ve also checked that list. And let me say it’s great list. But, I feel it is more inclined towards business and startups. So, it’s not good fit for many people here.
Anyway, thanks for share.
Cheers
Aman

Hi there Aman,
I was so excited to see this post because rewriting my welcome email is at the top of my To Do list today! And, now I can see where my first draft can really use some editing to make it rock. I particularly liked #4 about gaining intelligence about my subscribers questions. I also would never have considered sending them to my About page. Thanks for the great tips.

Your subscribers and visitors don’t know who you are and don’t want to give damn about it. They just want quality content that’s it.
If you’re delivering that you’ll get subscribers otherwise you’ll not. It’s that easy.

I have to admit, initially I didn’t have a welcome email because I didn’t know it was so valuable. But a welcome email is really important because subscribers are in their “honeymoon” period with you and want to know more.

Those are some great examples – I’ve taken note and decided to ask subscribers what’s the biggest thing they’re struggling with. Hopefully it’ll provide more insight and increase engagement!

This topic really needs to be discussed more often, as the welcome email helps readers stay engaged and trust you more. I’ll be sharing this post with the “tweet” button after I post.

Totally agree with you Melissa,
Welcome email is most underestimated marketing email. In fact, it’s most powerful email with open/ click rates ~ 60%.
And that’s a big number.
So, you must take full opportunity of that.
By the way, thanks for your comment.

Hi Aman,
Very timely advice. Thank you. I’m was working on that; now I’ll be working harder.
–Herb

Elvire
Sep 17, 2015 @
13:22:07

Wow, Aman, what an extensive list of possibilities almost overwhelming. I am just starting out and wonder if I need to put all your suggestions in the blender and mix them up into something I can use in my welcome letter without overwhelming my new subscriber. I guess I just have to figure out what kind of service I want to supply and what I want my subscribers to do. Hmmm, food for thought, thanks so much. I appreciate you.

AMAN THAKUR
Sep 17, 2015 @
13:32:40

Great Elvire,
Loved the way you described.

And yes, it’s a list post, so you have to figure out the best things for yourself.
Have a good day ahead.

Aman,
Thank you so much for this article! I have been working this week to try to get the details of my site working and one area I was worried about was a welcome email. Your article could not have been more perfect!

Your point about making sure that your emails are actually being received is excellent. I wouldn’t have even considered adding a reminder to move it from one tab to the other. I think the difficult part for me is making sure I have all I need without making the email excessively long. I’m not a very patient leader so I try to assume my audience isn’t either, but I want to get in as much good as I can.

Hi Amanda,
Yup you must make sure that your customers receive your emails and they’re not getting flagged.
Luckily, there’s another way also. You can send the test email to your Gmail account and then make necessary changes to ensure that email is landing in your primary tab. With that, you can avoid making it excessively long. I hope you find the tip useful.
Cheers.

In particular I really love 2). I have been deliberating about where to mention that receiving my bribe means joining my list. Mentioning it up front can be awkward and mess with the copy for the bribe itself. Disclosing it right away in the welcome email seems perfect because it will encourage readers to unsubscribe if they truly wish, and if they stay, I know they really want to be on my list.

Thanks for your appreciation.
And yes disclosing it in landing page seems pretty awkward. And welcome email is perfect for disclosing.
Disclosing keeps your list quality good. Meaning, you’ll always have good open and click through rates. It’s worth mentioning that your list size doesn’t matter, but what matters is that how many customers you have made in that list.

Boy, this is two super-useful posts for right where I’m at in a row here, Jon!

I’ve been using yet another engagement technique on my email for new subs — “Tell me your top challenge right now, and I’ll send you some custom resources.” That allows you to reply and send tailored resources — including ones that sell. But it’s not obnoxious, because I’m helping you out 1 on 1.

This is a GREAT technique for getting to know your readers better and finding out what they need, and creating a more personal connection. It takes a lot of WORK, doing individual responses.

But it’s really helped build my list and my sales. People are BLOWN AWAY when you reply to their biggest question, since almost nobody does this. You stand out, immediately.

I’ve just now redone mine to use almost ALL of these techniques! Rather than asking for a response to the email, I’m sending them to a post where they can leave questions — which will save a lot of admin time. My team was custom-crafting replies. Now I’ve got social links, my About page, some useful links…I like it!

Great post Aman,
I really agree with all the points you shared here. The welcome email you sends to a new subscriber is really the best way to get him excited about your blog and future news letters.

Its indeed very important to win him over right away using that first email. Most people usually subscribe to a list just because of the incentive and once they’ve downloaded the gift, they will unsubscribe immediately but if you can give them a good reason to stay, they will certainly reconsider their decision.

Hi Aman,
Great job on this article with great examples. I was especially intrigued with #10, asking them to spread the word and potentially get followers for me! I can’t wait to try that. I will do so right away. Thanks for the tip. I hadn’t thought of it.
Janice

Amazing Stuff!
Hey Aman,
An impressive and interesting information about Welcome email, One of the best to interact with new subscribers and shows your experience written with a great article.
Thanks for sharing terrific ideas of Welcome email and enjoyed to reading this article too much. Thumb’s up.. 🙂

I JUST redid my welcome email when I read this. Wow, who knew there was so much to think about?? I love Brian Dean’s welcome letter. Thanks for giving us so much to consider. This was super helpful. Cheers, Allyson

Thank you very much for this nice resource. I can see the real value from this wonderful post.
I implemented what I learnt from this post and it’s working very well for me.
I don’t regret being on Jon Morrow’s list from the first day I joined. Thanks

You have really got my wheels turning with this guest post. I have a good welcome email but I have always felt like I can do more with it. This post is full off ideas that I didn’t think about and I’m going to start implementing them this weekend!

Hi Aman,
Thanks for a very inspirational post! It sparked so many ideas about how to improve my welcome mail that I can’t wait to get started. In other words: thanks for keeping me busy on what was supposed to be my day off 🙂
I will spread the word among by fellow bloggers

Good to see you here. You’ve included some excellent pieces of advice here.

Your example from James Clear for how effective including a “what to expect” into Welcome messages is definitely one I’ll using.

I’ve found following subscribers on Twitter or Facebook as soon as they subscribe, is a good way of engaging further and making contact more personable. It also helps them to recognise me when I pop up in their Inboxes. I’m not such a stranger to them then.

I also drop them a tweet asking after some project, plan or event they may have mentioned
too. This often gets a response along the lines of: Thanks for following up. or Thanks for asking.

Your unexpected bonus idea is a great one. I can vouched for how this helps to deepen
the engagement.

I’m always looking to improve how I communicate with members of my email list and this post of yours has really helped out.

Hi Tom,
I just wanted to second your idea. I do the same thing when someone subscribes. I may not want to follow them back if they are not in my blogging niche, but I connect in other ways like following them on Twitter.
Janice

Tom I like that simple yet very effective tip re following new subscribers on Twitter and Facebook. Somethings in life are so obvious we never even see them and your tip is one of those things. Thanks for this share

Super information and something that prompted lots of ideas, thank you! Can you recommend a good post subscription WordPress plugin that allows you to customize the confirmation email with links? Thanks!

Thanks for your comment.
As for your question, I don’t know any such plugin. But, you can do this in your email marketing provider dashboard.
Hope this helps.
Cheers

Ethel Paderes
Sep 23, 2015 @
10:02:45

Good read! And, yes – building trust to your “would-be” subscribers can take time but then if done right from the very start, then much better. I agree with your idea that adding a “quick win” inside the welcome email and providing something that can pique their curiosity. But, always, avoid being too salesy. 😉

Great list of ideas of how to make use of your welcome email. I think for me that this has flown under the radar, but after reading your post I get it. The wheels are in motion and I will take a closer look at this list to see what make sense to incorporate so thank you.

Another thing that has come to me while writing this comment is if you tell your subscriber what is in it for them right away your chances of that subscriber staying on your list once they opt-in increase.

I feel it is important to be transparent and honest with your readers. Food for thought. Do you think your content is enough to make someone subscribe to your list? or Do you need an ethical bribe?

Totally agree with you. If you tell your subscriber what’s in it for them, they will surely remember.
Also, for your question, I think content is enough to make people subscribe to your blog, I mean look at Zenhabits.net, Leo has built a long list using his minimalistic blog. But, if you want to build list faster, go with post specific bonus.
Hope this helps.

That was great Aman. What do you think to including 5 or 6 of those tips? Does the welcome email then become too long and its power diluted? Would be interested to hear your thoughts on that.
Am going to share this article now! Very useful.
Thanks,
Joe

Like some of your other commentators I have been using the “simply hit the reply tab and ask my anything” type strategy – the main reasons for this was really to show I really wanted to help in any way I could plus the very action of replying would definitely help my ability to inbox with them in the future.

The concept of disclosing issues like the “free gift bribe” in the welcome email is something I have never considered. I like the ethics of this and will definitely be adopting this practice.

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your comment.
And definitely you should be using welcome email strategically. Also, as far as your “ask me anything” type strategy is considered – I think it’s also a good strategy as it builds your connection and that surely helps.

Thanks a lot for this great article! It’s the perfect timing since I’m currently working on a welcome email for my blog. I will apply your advice to make sure I make the most of that very first (and important) email.

Aman,
As all the others said before me, Great post. I actually didn’t land on boostblogtraffic for your post but for the 7 deadly sins of Seo. I like that post so much I hit ‘home’ and your post was the latest one.

1. Like the idea about testing your email in Gmail to see where it goes – primary, updates, or promotions tab. I put this on my thank you page as well as in that first email.

2. 60% open rate is awesome! I know in previous lists I’ve had I usually see a decline after the third week when my content seems to be strictly rss feed based.

3. I like Kurt’s question about whether someone subscribes because of the bribe or the content – I would much rather have someone like my content then to just get a gift and go. This goes back to your other point that the size of your list is not what is important but the quality of your list. Do they convert to customers? Do they engage with you? This is the true test of your list.

4. I follow Carol’s blog so was glad to see she also commented on your post. She read it, implemented it, and came back to thank you. Love it.

5. I’m with the others, that point number ten is phenomenal. I do it on my thank you page so why not in my welcome email. (also the person who said they like to follow subscribers on social media too – great idea).

I usually add one trick that I think makes it easier for subscribers to share on social media. I usually include an image of how the article will look when you copy/paste the link into Facebook / Twitter so that my audience knows exactly what they’ll be posting.

As I told you earlier, there is nothing that works. You have to test and see which things are working and which aren’t.
Test sending one email to half of your list and other email to other half and see how it works for you.